Build Build Build Quotes

“What is Build, Build, Build? It is a revolution of Filipinos who want the next generation to see a better Philippines.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“About five years ago, on our first day of office — Build, Build, Build Czar Mark Villar and I were talking — “What can we do to make the Philippines a better place?” His answer was simple —roads to the most rural areas so that children can go to school without risking their lives, bridges to connect farmers and fishermen to their markets and infrastructure that would open up opportunities in the countryside and allow Filipinos to dream and aspire for a better future.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Build, Build, Build has been the target of fake news, trolls, and critics. They have tried to redefine it far from its scope — and in their “proud, most credible voice” — report it as truth. Are they confused or just simply cunning? During the upcoming elections, many will try to discredit the accomplishments of 6.5 million construction workers. They will say that what we have completed is not enough, that there could have been many things that we could have done still, or that we never really worked at all.

Allow me to say — if you are reading this, and you’re part of the Build, Build, Build team - without you, we wouldn’t have been able to build 29,264 kilometers of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood control projects, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 classrooms, 214 airport projects, and 451 seaport projects.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Our critics were correct — it would have been impossible for us to implement Build, Build, Build alone. We knew it from the start. If not for the help of the 6.5 million Filipinos who willingly took part of the shared vision of creating a more comfortable life for all, big ticket projects would remain in the pipeline.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“To effectively usher in the Golden Age of Infrastructure, the Duterte Administration created Build, Build, Build, a medium-term development strategy, which aimed to mobilize the largest work force in Philippine history to implement an infrastructure plan consistent with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“As a student, I dreamed of a nation without roadblocks. I didn’t realize that 10 years after, I’d be part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Build, Build, Build team. And since July 2016, according to Secretary Mark Villar, DPWH has completed 29,264 kilometers of roads, and 5,950 bridges.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“People would often ask - what is Build, Build, Build? it is a springboard, a chance to turn a dream of connecting Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao into a reality. It means connecting 81 provinces, 146 cities, and 1,489 municipalities.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“The EDSA Decongestion Program, which is composed of 23 projects amounting to over ₱383 billion is well underway. Secretary Villar is confident that President Duterte’s promise of decongesting EDSA will be delivered before the end of his term. Five years after, major road and bridge projects have already been completed including the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, the Radial Road 10 Exit Ramp, the Mindanao Avenue Extension Segment 2C, the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, the Fort Bonifacio-Nichols Road (Lawton Avenue) Widening, the Estrella - Pantaleon Bridge and the Bonifacio Global City-Ortigas Center Link Road Project, among others.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“In 2016, when we started Build, Build, Build, critics said that the EDSA Decongestion Program is mathematically impossible, that it could not be done, that President Rodrigo Duterte was overpromising, and that Google Maps did not support such assertion.

They failed to see the bigger picture — the possibility of a 90-year-old EDSA back to its original 1930s form, a future where Filipinos do not have to debate about Metro Manila’s “true midpoint” and a reality wherein every city in Metro Manila can be accessed within a 20 to 30 minute time frame”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“For the first time in decades, Filipinos may opt to bypass EDSA and C5. Soon, Filipinos would be able to travel to any city in Metro Manila within a 20 to 30-minute time frame. In a few more months, we will effectively connect the 16 cities and one municipality of Metro Manila — Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Quezon City and Valenzuela — seamlessly via a network of high standard highways and bridges.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“This is the first time in Philippine history that expressways operated by different concessionaires — as in this case, San Miguel Corporation and Metro Pacific — will interconnect.
And who are the biggest victors of this arrangement? The Filipino people.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Back in 2016, when Build, Build, Build was just starting, a lot of people had doubts. One friend looked me in the eye and said, “This was another campaign promise meant to be broken.” We were likened to ardent suitors prepared to say anything.

We could not blame them. At that time, it did seem impossible. Traffic in Metro Manila was costing us ₱3.5 billion a day. EDSA has exceeded its capacity by over a hundred thousand vehicles. Government projects were delayed for years — with some projects implemented only after several decades. But while we were all very familiar with this reality, it was not a reality we were prepared to accept. The Philippines was far from its full potential. To many of us, it was a chance to realize a dream. It was a chance to shape history and usher in the Golden Age of Infrastructure.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“When the construction of Skyway Stage 3 started, I was a freshman at law school. Almost every day, I’d pass by the same alignment which, if completed, would cut travel time from North Luzon Expressway to South Luzon Expressway from 2.5 hours to only 30 minutes. At the time, I was still working for United Nations and our Manila Office was located at the RCBC Plaza on HV dela Costa on Ayala Avenue. There were many days I hoped they’d fast-track the construction. The promise of reduced travel time from Makati to QC meant more time to study, dine, shower, or sleep. Little did I know that I’d be part of the project about two years later.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Critics of the administration recently pointed out that over 180,000 families will be displaced in Metro Manila should the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road Project and the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project push through. This claim is fictitious, inaccurate, and misleading.

For example, based on the census and tagging conducted by the National Housing Authority, the government agency mandated to relocate and resettle Informal Settler Families (ISFs) affected by the construction of national infrastructure projects, the estimated number of likely affected ISFs in the NLEX – SLEX Connector Road Project is only 1,700.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Critics have said it cannot be done and yet the output of 6.5 million workers involved in the Build, Build, Build program has proved them wrong.

Another misconception was that most projects are only situated in Metro Manila or are operated under the modality of public private partnership. This is far from the truth. In fact, less than five percent of the Build, Build, Build projects charge toll or operate under a concession agreement.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Heading to Pangasinan to visit the Manaoag Church and the Hundred Islands of Alaminos? The 7.17-kilometer Urdaneta City Bypass Road traverses eight barangays namely Nancayasan, Sto. Domingo, Sta. Lucia, Nancamaliran East, Mabanogbog, San Vicente, Camantiles, and Anonas. It serves as an alternate route to the existing Manila North Road, Urdaneta Dagupan Road, Urdaneta-Manaoag Road, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan- La Union Expressway. Now, travel time from Villasis to Binalonan has been reduced from one hour to only 30 minutes.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Back in 2016, no one knew what Build, Build, Build meant or what it stood for. Critics had very little expectation of the team. They wagered against our success, not knowing that when they did, they gambled against the future of their country. They were certain that the infrastructure projects would never materialize — that blueprints would remain as drawings. They didn’t expect 6.5 million Filipinos to stand and work behind it.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte embarked to build the Luzon Spine Expressway Network, a 1,101-kilometer expressway network, which would connect the northernmost and southernmost parts of Luzon.

By building a 655-kilometer expressway network, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar aims to complement the existing expressway grid spanning 385 kilometers. The goal is to increase the road network by threefold.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“20. One of my closest friends in law school, Farahnaz Ali Ghodsinia, is a Muslim. After one of our classes, while walking to the parking lot of Malcolm Hall, we saw a caterpillar by her windshield. My immediate reaction was to fold one of our cases into a roll and hand it over. Instead of using it to kill the caterpillar, she carefully assisted it back to the grass. She told me that in a few weeks, that caterpillar would turn into a butterfly. Admittedly, I was surprised and soon realized it was a representation of Islam that needed to be told.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“If you are in any way part of Build, Build, Build, be strong and steadfast. The truth will not change only because alternate realities are repeated, or that facts are often ignored. The attacks will be more vicious and it will be at a rate that we have never seen before. Do not be disheartened. There is work to be done still. While we are already able to complete 29,264 kilometers of roads, 15,134 kilometers are still ongoing. While we have already built 5,950 bridges, we still have 1,859 bridges to build.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Critics have said that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte should shy away from Build, Build, Build if it were to solve the COVID-19 pandemic. I disagree. The government must not choose between health and economy but rather make mutual compromises that would further health, recovery, job security, and long-term economic potential.”
― Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo , Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

“Build the table you want a seat at.”
― Marion Bekoe, I WILL BE A BILLIONAIRE: The right mindset is the first step towards the journey.